The 2026 NFL Draft’s quarterback class had a key opportunity to prove itself at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza – the draft’s presumptive No. 1 overall pick – chose not to work out with his status as the class’ top overall quarterback secured. That gave 14 signal-callers a chance to stake their claim as the second-best quarterback on the board.

Several took advantage of the opportunity. Ty Simpson starred and likely cemented his first-round status, while Garrett Nussmeier and Carson Beck stated their cases to be Day 2 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft.

How did all the quarterbacks at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine fare? Below are USA TODAY Sports’ grades for all of the passers who worked out in Indianapolis.

2026 NFL combine: Top quarterback grades, rankings

1. Ty Simpson, Alabama: A

Simpson was the clear-cut best quarterback on the field at the NFL combine. The Alabama product was near-perfect in on-field drills, displaying smooth mechanics and elite ball placement and accuracy at all three levels of the field throughout the session.

It was hard to find many – if any – mistakes in Simpson’s workout and his performance in the deep-passing drills was impressive. His performance should cement him as the No. 2 overall quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft class and will help to solidify his first-round status.

2. Garrett Nussmeier, LSU: B+

Nussmeier didn’t get off to the best start in his throwing session. His ball placement was slightly off as he settled in, which caused some of the receivers to whom he was throwing to have to make off-frame catches.

After the minor, early-workout jitters, Nussmeier settled in nicely. He demonstrated good accuracy and timing throughout the latter portion of the workout and showed polished mechanics and footwork on his downfield throws. Most importantly, he looked healthy after dealing with a troublesome oblique injury that impacted him in his final season at LSU.

3. Carson Beck, Miami (FL): B+

Indiana fans at the NFL combine were booing Beck every single time he stepped up to throw. That didn’t stop Beck from putting on the best performance of the first throwing group in Indianapolis.

The Miami product was on target with many of his throws at all three levels of the field with good timing on breaking routes from the receiving prospects. His footwork and mechanics were also solid. Beck made a few throws he’d probably like to have back, including a couple of misfires on deep passes, but he remained consistent in a harsher environment than what the other QBs experienced.

4. Cade Klubnik, Clemson: B

Klubnik acknowledged coming into the combine his superpower was his accuracy. He put that on display at the combine, routinely feathering passes to his receivers, particularly to the deep and intermediate portions of the field.

The only bummer about Klubnik’s combine was that the dual-threat quarterback opted not to run the 40-yard dash. Nonetheless, his workout – and the steadiness he showed with his footwork – should provide a boost to his draft stock.

5. Drew Allar, Penn State: B

Allar seemingly had the best raw tools of the passers in his earlier group. He showed the most consistency on deep passes, including a couple of beautiful throws on a straight ‘go’ route and a ‘corner’ route. He also had some of the best timing on throws to breaking routes.

The biggest question mark for Allar is his rawness. While the tools are all there, the Penn State product still needs some refinement. His footwork during the quarterback throwing drills was messy and inconsistent, and his mechanics showed a tendency for over-reliance on his arm without marrying his upper and lower halves.

6. Jalon Daniels, Kansas: B-

Daniels was one of the clear winners from the opening throwing session at the combine. The Kansas product showed off his arm talent with a couple of beautiful deep passes and some zip on shorter throws.

The biggest knock against Daniels was his inconsistency. While some of his throws were among the best of the group, particularly his second deep pass, there were some questionable misses on easier attempts. Regardless, Daniels quietly may have made himself some money by showing off what his arm can do when he stretches out for deep throws.

7. Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt: B-

For any other quarterback, measuring in a 5-10 1/8 would be problematic. But after Pavia measured in at just 5-9 7/8 at the Senior Bowl, the 1/4-inch improvement was critical in helping the Vanderbilt quarterback avoid becoming a historic outlier at the position.

Pavia then showed well in the on-field drills, displaying very good accuracy throughout the session. The Heisman Trophy runner-up was not as flashy as he would be in game action – which was to be expected – but his steadiness should convince a team to make him a Day 3 selection.

8. Taylen Green, Arkansas: C+

Green is one of the hardest to evaluate in the position group at this year’s NFL combine. On one hand, he was far-and-away the most athletic quarterback to undergo testing: a 43.5-inch vertical jump, 11-foot-2-inch broad jump and 4.36-second 40-yard dash saw to that.

But when it came time to throw, Green struggled. The Arkansas quarterback was all over the place on some of the shorter routes against air, completely missing his receivers on breaking routes over the middle and overthrowing wideouts on the sideline. He seemed to settle down halfway through his throwing session for better execution on deeper passes, but his outing still paled in comparison to those of the better throwers around him.

9. Cole Payton, North Dakota State: C+

Payton showed off a live arm during his NFL combine workout. He just wasn’t quite as consistently accurate as some of his counterparts in the second throwing session. The North Dakota State product flashed in this area, particularly on a perfectly-thrown outbreaking route to Makai Lemon, but he also had several off-target throws and was spotty on his down-field attempts.

It’s worth noting that Payton is left-handed, so working with unfamiliar receivers could have been more of a detriment to him than others. He also logged a more-than-respectable 4.56-second 40-yard dash, so he has a lot to help his draft stock despite his inconsistency.

10. Behren Morton, Texas Tech: C+

Morton showed off a strong arm at the NFL combine. He had plenty of zip on his passes to all levels of the field and was even able to throw some deep, line-drive passes.

Morton’s accuracy was solid, but he lacked in his touch passing. It would have been better to see a wider variety of throws from the Texas Tech product, but he may have simply been looking to show off his arm strength on Saturday.

11. Haynes King, Georgia Tech: C-

King showed off some solid athleticism by running a 4.46-second 40-yard dash, which was second at the position to only Green. He was also accurate during the short-area passing drills, which could help convince teams he can be a solid, game-manager backup.

However, the downfield passing drills highlighted King’s inconsistency with his mechanics. His accuracy waned throughout the session, and at times he struggled to get the ball as far down the field as he needed to hit his receivers.

12. Sawyer Robertson, Baylor: D+

Robertson earned the ignominious distinction of having the roughest outing of the second throwing session. The Baylor product struggled to consistently complete passes, mixing overthrows with underthrows and throwing the occasional wobbly pass.

Robertson did log a solid 4.65-second time in the 40-yard dash, but that was the highlight of his combine workout.

13. Luke Altmyer, Illinois: D+

Altmyer’s performance at the combine was exactly what many would have expected from the Illinois product. He showed good accuracy in the short-to-intermediate passing drills, but it was clear his arm paled in comparison to others in the group.

Again, few expected Altmyer to wow at the NFL combine. Still, seeing him next to the likes of Allar, Beck, Daniels and Green demonstrates why the ceiling on the Illinois product is as a mid-tier backup at the best.

14. Joe Fagnano, Connecticut: D

Fagnano struggled immensely with his accuracy during his combine workout. He seemed to alternate between underthrowing passes and air-mailing them to his receivers while struggling to consistently put his deep-passing attempts in an area where his receivers could make a play.

When Fagnano was accurate, he was able to deliver a handful of good-looking throws that reminded talent evaluators of the potential that the 6-3, 226-pound passer has. But his overall workout, coupled with his average numbers in the athletic testing drills, continues to point toward him being a late-round developmental project – if he’s selected in the 2026 NFL Draft at all.

Lionel Messi and Inter Miami return to action on the road against Orlando City on Sunday, March 1 on Apple TV’s Sunday Night Soccer.

Messi is healthy and available to play in the match, which would be his first in Orlando despite being in MLS since July 2023.

Messi has not visited Orlando due to various injuries when Inter Miami has been scheduled to face their in-state rivals in the MLS’ Florida Derby in the last three seasons.

Orlando City dominated the series, outscoring Inter Miami 7-1 in two league matches last season. But Messi scored twice including twice during their last matchup, a 3-1 in during last season’s Leagues Cup tournament.

Overall, Messi scored six goals in four matches against Orlando City during his career.

Here’s what you need to know about the Orlando City vs. Inter Miami matchup:

What time is the Orlando City vs. Inter Miami match?

The match begins at 7 p.m. ET (9 p.m. in Argentina).

How to watch Orlando City vs. Inter Miami match?

The Orlando City vs. Inter Miami match will be available on Apple TV.

Germán Berterame speaks to media

New Inter Miami star Germán Berterame, who joined the club from Liga MX side Monterrey in the offseason, is set to play in his Florida Derby match. He scored his first goal for the club during a preseason match against Ecuadorian side Barcelona S.C. on Feb. 7.

“I’m really eager to play in the derby, because we all know what it means to play in one,” Berterame said about facing Orlando City. “I see the group as very content, very motivated and really enthusiastic. So hopefully, it will be a great match.”

Inter Miami to visit White House

Inter Miami will visit President Donald Trump and the White House to celebrate its 2025 MLS Cup title before an match upcoming against D.C. United, a club source confirmed to USA TODAY Sports. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the team hadn’t yet announced the plans.

Messi taken down by fan in Puerto Rico

Before the Orlando City match, catch up on this Messi news from last week:

Several pitch invaders disrupted the final minutes of a rescheduled match in Puerto Rico on Thursday Feb. 26, including one who hugged Messi and knocked him to the ground as a security guard tried to restrain the fan.

Messi was not injured after the sequence, and finished the match. He scored a penalty in the 70^th minute to deliver a 2-1 win against Ecuadorian club Independiente del Valle.

The match followed Inter Miami’s season-opening 3-0 loss to LAFC on Saturday, Feb. 21.

Inter Miami’s upcoming schedule

• March 7: D.C. United vs. Inter Miami, 4:30 p.m. ET (MLS regular season)
• March 11: Nashville SC vs. Inter Miami, 7:30 p.m. ET (Concacaf Champions Cup)
• March 14: Charlotte FC vs. Inter Miami, 7:30 p.m. ET (MLS regular season)
• March 18: Inter Miami vs. Nashville SC, 7 p.m. ET (Concacaf Champions Cup)
• March 22: New York City FC vs. Inter Miami, 1 p.m. (MLS regular season)

We are soon entering the final week of the 2025-26 men’s college basketball regular season.

With the calendar flipping to March, all eyes are on who can win the national championship this season. Florida ― the defending national champions ― seems poised to make a run at a repeat, but No. 1 Duke, Michigan and Arizona are among the favorites who can make a run.

However, the field goes beyond those four teams. There are a handful of other programs that have a legitimate chance to hoist the trophy this season.

Here’s a look at the top 20 teams with the best odds of winning the national championship:

March Madness power rankings: Ranking top 20 teams based on odds

Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of 9:30 p.m. ET Saturday, Feb. 28

Despite a loss to Duke last weekend, Michigan is the odds-on-favorite to win the national championship this season at +325. However, the Blue Devils are a close second (+375), with Arizona (+425) and Houston (+950) right on their heels.

Defending national champion Florida is seeking to repeat, as UConn just did (the Huskies winning it all in 2023 and 2024). The Gators could join UCLA as the only program to ever win back-to-back championships twice.

• 1. Michigan, +325
• 2. Duke, +375
• 3. Arizona, +425
• 4. Houston, +950
• 5. Florida, +1000
• 6. UConn, +1300
• 7. Illinois, +1400
• 8. Iowa State, +1600
• T-9. Kansas, +3000
• T-9. Purdue, +3000
• T-11. Gonzaga, +4000
• T-11. Michigan State, +4000
• T-13. Alabama, +6600
• T-13. Arkansas, +6600
• T-13. Nebraska, +6600
• T-13. Tennessee, +6600
• T-13. Virginia, +6600
• T-18. St. John’s, +8000
• T-18. UNC, +8000
• 20. Louisville, +9000

Carson Beck is among the quarterbacks working out at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine in an effort to boost his draft stock.

It quickly became apparent that the crowd on-hand in Indianapolis was going to be against the 23-year-old quarterback.

A large contingent of Indiana fans was in attendance for Sunday’s workouts at the combine. Beck spent his final collegiate year at Miami (FL), which played Indiana in the national championship game.

Of course, the Hoosiers emerged with a 27-21 victory over the Hurricanes to earn their first-ever national title. One would have thought that would make the Indiana faithful’s gripe with Beck dissipate.

Nonetheless, the crowd heartily jeered Beck each time he was shown on camera and every time it was his turn in the rotation to attempt a pass.

Beck seemed unbothered by the treatment, as NFL Network showed the six-year college football veteran smiling as boos rained down on him during the throwing drills.

Beck wasn’t the only quarterback to catch the ire of the pro-Indiana crowd on-hand at the combine. Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia – who disparaged Heisman Trophy voters after finishing as the runner-up to Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza – was also heartily booed when shown on the big screen at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Pavia will be in the second group of Saturday’s quarterback workouts, so it will be interesting to see if he receives the same treatment as Beck throughout his session.

Mike Washington Jr. had to let it all out.

On Saturday, the Arkansas running back set the bar for his position group at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis by running an official 4.33-second 40-yard dash. That tied for the sixth-best time among all ball carriers at the annual event since 2003.

Not bad for a back who measured in at 6-1 and 223 pounds.

After the run, cameras showed Washington in tears. He again became emotional when talking to NFL Network’s Stacey Dales, telling her, ‘I’m so emotional, man. I’ve worked my whole life for this.’

Washington took a somewhat circuitous route to the combine, playing three years at Buffalo and one at New Mexico State before transferring to Arkansas for the 2025 season. He rushed for 1,070 yards per carry and eight touchdowns for the Razorbacks, earning second-team All-Southeastern Conference honors.

The Utica, New York, native also fared well in other testing at the combine, finishing second among all backs with a 10-8 broad jump and 39-inch vertical leap.

Washington wasn’t the only Arkansas standout to make waves on Saturday. Quarterback Taylen Green broke Anthony Richardson’s record for the best vertical leap at the position since 2003 with a 43 ½-inch vertical leap, and then topped the Indianapolis Colts passer’s high-water mark in the broad jump at 11-2.

Move over, Anthony Richardson. There’s a new quarterback athletic marvel at the NFL scouting combine.

On Saturday in Indianapolis, Arkansas’ Taylen Green broke Richardson’s top marks at the position since 2003 for both the vertical leap and broad jump. Green’s 43½-inch vertical topped Richardson’s previous high by three inches, while his 11-2 broad jump beat the Indianapolis Colts signal-caller’s measurement by five inches.

Said Green in an NFL Network interview of his vertical leap: ‘I wanted to see if I could touch all the way to the top.’

Then, Green reeled off a 4.36-second 40-yard dash time. That stood as the second-best time for any quarterback since 2003, trailing only Reggie McNeal in 2006 (4.35 seconds). Richardson, for comparison, logged a 4.43-second mark in 2023.

Green didn’t even bother with a second attempt after his initial time.

The testing profile created quite the stir around the 6-6, 227-pound passer, who had widely projected as a developmental option for teams on Day 3.

NFL Network’s Charles Davis said Green told him that no teams had approached him about working out as a receiver, adding that he would not be interested in a position switch.

Green started for the Razorbacks for the last two seasons after playing the first three years of his career at Boise State. Known for his running ability and ample arm strength, Green threw for 2,714 yards and 19 touchdowns last year while adding 777 yards and eight scores on the ground.

It was a banner day for Arkansas, as running back Mike Washington Jr. also stood out among his peers with a group-leading 4.33-second 40-yard dash as well as strong marks in the vertical leap (39 inches) and broad jump (10-8).

Most football prospects testing at the 2026 NFL combine needed impressive performances – a fast 40-yard dash or spectacular catch in drills – to draw notable reactions from the crowd.

The Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback from Indiana managed to draw a loud cheer from the crowd just by showing up at Lucas Oil Stadium on Feb. 28. Mendoza, who is the presumptive No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, opted out of participating in drills at the combine.

Mendoza still joined the other quarterbacks on the field at Lucas Oil Stadium during his position group’s on-field testing period on Feb. 28. When the production team at the field showed him on the in-stadium screen, the crowd cheered loudly.

After beginning his collegiate career with the California Golden Bears, Mendoza transferred to Indiana before the 2025 season. In his lone year with the Hoosiers, Mendoza won all 16 of his starts, and Indiana won the CFP National Championship – their first in program history.

The Indiana quarterback finished the 2025 season with a 72% completion rate, 3,535 passing yards, 41 touchdowns and six interceptions.

If their reaction in Indianapolis on Feb. 28 was any indication, Indiana fans will continue to support Mendoza even after he moves on to the next level. For Mendoza, just showing up at Lucas Oil Stadium during quarterback testing was enough to draw one of the loudest cheers from fans at the NFL combine.

In his latest 2026 NFL mock draft, USA TODAY Sports’ Jacob Camenker has the Las Vegas Raiders drafting Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick in April’s draft.

That Jeremiyah Love ran a 40-yard dash at all at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis came as a pleasant surprise to many.

The Notre Dame running back had little incentive to do so, given that he is widely expected to be a top-10 pick in April’s NFL draft. And he hardly would have been alone in abstaining, with just 10 of the 21 ball carriers who attended the combine participating in the drill.

So when Love reeled off a 4.36-second time on Saturday that ranked second among all running backs, trailing only Arkansas’ Mike Washington Jr., almost no one could have called it a letdown – except Love himself.

‘A little bit disappointing,’ Love said in an interview with NFL Network’s Stacey Dales when asked about his mark. ‘I wanted to run like a 4.2. Didn’t get there, but 4.3 is good. I’m OK with it. Wanted better, but 4.3 is just fine with me.’

Perhaps the only other person on hand not enthusiastic about how Love’s run went: the running back’s dad, Jason. Cameras caught him in the crowd shaking his head after Love’s first attempt of 4.37 seconds, though he was more enthusiastic after the follow-up.

‘He’s never satisfied, just like me,’ Love said with a laugh. ‘He knows my potential.’

Added Love: ‘I honestly believe I could have run a 4.2, but I’m like 214 (pounds) right now. I gotta drop a little bit in weight.’

Love, however, won’t chase that mark at Notre Dame’s pro day on March 27. The ball carrier won’t participate in any testing or drills in South Bend, Indiana, though he does plan to be on hand to support his fellow teammates in the draft, including backfield mate Jadarian Price.